How to: charter a yacht for the America’s Cup.

Some opportunities in life can be granted a most cherished of labels- that of ‘opportunity of a lifetime’. This means many different things to many different people, but for the larger part of the yachting and boating fraternity a chance to watch the America’s Cup Racing in Bermuda from the water is as near as it gets.

Charter companies across the board are reporting more and more an uptick in yacht bookings for various spectacles and events. The demographic of yacht charter guests is changing, and attending an action-packed weekend of racing either on water or land has become the in-vogue thing to do by superyacht. Thrill-seeking buyers are demanding more and more from their holidays- gone are the days of simply wafting around the French Riviera for a few weeks each summer… (although you can still count ME in for that one! – Editor.)

The America’s Cup is probably one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar (let alone the yachting calendar) in 2017, so what better opportunity to charter a yacht and drop anchor right at the finish line?!

Sailing Yacht Marae – probably the best Americas Cup Package still available

Picture yourself sat on the aft deck of your own gorgeous 33m sailing sloop, your captain and crew having positioned the stern perfectly so as to give you an uninterrupted view of the racetrack, gin and tonic in hand, with your friends and family beside you…

S/Y Marae is one of the few superyachts still available for charter during the America’s Cup proceedings; and no matter whether you’re backing Oracle or Land Rover B.A.R, everyone onboard Marae will be a winner with the charter package that’s on offer with this stunning Alloy yachts-built cruiser. And did I mention it’s only $64,000 per week?!

Refitted in 2014, Marae has a certain charm which permeates throughout her timeless interior and exterior spaces. You’ll feel like a true gentleman as you dine with family in her well-appointed pilot house, or sun yourself on the spacious aft deck with your binoculars in hand ready for racing. She sleeps 6 in 3 luxurious en-suite cabins, meaning you will be able to bring your nearest and dearest for this most intimate and exciting of trips.

What’s on Offer

Marae’s owner has managed to secure an absolutely world-beating spot in the America’s Cup Race Village. Berth 19 puts you right in the thick of the action as the teams prepare to do battle on the course, and gives you the chance to mix with other attending superyachts and their owners or guests.

In addition to a prime spot in view of the finish line, Berth 19 comes with a whole host of VIP benefits including:

A concierge service

Access to designated on-the-water viewing (an area only available to superyachts that are berthed within the America’s Cup Village).

Event passes for America’s Cup events and access to crew briefings.

Marae’s unique charter package also includes these extra special benefits:

VIP flag, allowing access to the dedicated VIP area on the race course boundary.

Yacht agency services and concierge are being provided by superyacht programme sponsor BWA Yachting, in partnership with local expert Bermuda Yacht Services. The island is a spectacular superyacht destination in itself, and Marae is the perfect size and class of vessel to take exploring. Sailing conditions are perfect at this time of year (hence the America’s Cup), so we recommend taking the opportunity to unleash your inner Ben Ainslie in the breaks between racing!

So what is there to do in Bermuda? According to Mark Soares from BYS (talking on the AYSS blog) the answer is ‘plenty’ – especially now that the America’s Cup programme has re-invented the way local government approach yacht chartering in Bermudan waters;

Yachting is about to get much easier here. Before the Americas Cup event was given to Bermuda, many regulations existed which were fairly unfriendly to visiting yachts. For example, it used to be that yachts were allowed to stay for 3 months but professional crew were only allowed 21 day visas. This has obviously had to change in time for the Americas Cup. In addition to this, the government has opened up the charter market temporarily for the three months surrounding the event in order to allow visitors to charter yachts in Bermudan waters. We are hoping that this will be something which stays on the table for the future.

From golfing, to exploring the old town; to watersports and shopping – Bermuda has a relaxed Caribbean vibe, yet at the same time is clean, modern and safe. Direct flights from NYC are a mere 90 minutes, and you can fly into LF Wade International Airport from London and Paris too.